Kurt Vonnegut’s advice on writing short stories

As previously mentioned in the post ‘A Short Story Constructed – A Stinging Fly Workshop‘, I attended a Stinging Fly fiction workshop in the Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge last Saturday. I had been reminded during the workshop of a video clip that I had seen on the internet in recent weeks, about a certain writer’s advice on the craft of short story writing. As I am in the habit of procrastinating on the web when I should be writing, I often see things with a brain that is only partially engaged. As a result, try as I might, the writer in question wouldn’t come to me.

During the workshop, the facilitator of the group, Sean O’Reilly, had made a statement about the importance of advancing action and character development in a short story, as your time is limited.  The blank face of my mystery man bugged me for the rest of the day, all the way down the M7 to Tipperary, in bed that night, and for the last two days - his sentiments had so closely echoed what I had learnt at the workshop.

This morning, as I woke up in the half-light of six am, with only a partially engaged brain, the answer hit me: Kurt Vonnegut, author of Slaughterhouse-five.

And here is that clip – Enjoy.